Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-26

= Cssaas VIE 0ays Thas Thsy Are saGsiins
Rrs,n eyssem ef Unnatarai
HAgh RfooSurA

a Qfopn oyOeom oe UnnAtural
High Pressure.
x EpG INrsLLIaENcER-The report on the
psussat condition Of the Lancaster public
sChools, made 70 The board ct its last meeting,
would ssem 10 indicate . very decided im.
rEOvsment In the abundance and enrolment
= compared with Whist Il was six years ago;
ana leaves no room for doubt that in these
paEl1CulArs at leage our schools have made
conmeudable progresA Yet when one
1akes The Inme figures Into consideration, In
Oonnsction with The crowded condition Of
our high schools, he b furnished with very
knoeGy problem, which will soon (unless the
proper remedy u applied) force itself upon
the consideration OF the board ; and, a. 1t
throatens 70 touch the pockets Of the tax
payers upon the attention OF the public -
well.
For several years pest our high schools
have bean in . crowded condition, and to
such On extent hes this been the case, espec-
1ally In the girls school, that greatly increased
ooating capacity had 70 be furnished for the
large number Of candidates clamoring for ad-
mission. The pressure to enter these schools
uaill continues, and survey OF the present
status Of affairs seems 10 indicate that the
school board will 10 necessitassd TO build I'd.
ditioual high school buildingA and q q con.
0OAOOssO0 OAA NAssS0sAo VIA w SNbJoSs W AA~
s dressed taxation.
In view Of this tact the important question
ARISES, how has the crowded condition Of
these schools been brought about !? Has 1t
bsen BY fair and tudicious methods-by
methods conducive to the healthy mental do
veiopment Of the pupil and BY means bene.
hcial to his physical welfare? Naturally
We would suppose 80. But ones attention is
drawn to the TACT that while the school. going
population for the last six years has bu
Sllghtly increased, the increase OF admissions
enhlgh ,anhooas hes bssn greater than The
syoG6ou1 oha1GO - - 0uGoa - educnstnn
Wsxranl And m Investigation OF the facts
will eonnrm ths view.
When the present city school sdministra.
tion began, the board of directors, havinn
tull confidence In it, wisdom and desiaG
iavoring any movement foreshadG
gress and improvement, 49,
ton Of the number Qi ~ 9uc
sS1| - Iodf of, Ali words,
. space of six years were crammed into the
space of four years. Furthermore, the mum.
bsr Of studies was multiplied, making the
task OF the pupil TO be mastered in shorter
space OF time, moro onerous and less produc
tive OF good results. In addition to this, il
vas claimed that higher standard OF quail
ticaiion had been adopted. Under circum
stances 80 stringent as those enumerated, tn,
number OF transfers to our high school,
should have diminished instead OF increased
as it did.
The teachers in the secondary schools
owing to the elevated standard adopted anC
the shortened periods Of time, were compelled
to adopt the cramming system in order {,
have any transfers at all, and the result wa
that the high schools were soon filled " it'll
pupils, many OF whom, crammed 10 death b,
the official pressure brought to bear upor
them, made remarkable percentages for pro
motion, but who were found 70 he compare
tive failures after admission. Others with
minds exhausted by the years of over.study
in the lower grades, seeming incapable Of
making any advancement became perma
nent fixtures In the lower classes, and Scr we'd
to retard the progress OF the school The
teachers, experiencing the want of compe
tency, aud of proper spirit on the part Of
numbers OF trsnsfers, petitione cd the board
for power to return the deficient ones back
~ the schools from whence they came. Thil
was denied them, but to meet the emergency
additional seating capacity was furnished
In . year this plan was exhausted and ney
remedy had TO be sought for. 1t was fount
In higher standard Of qualification for promo
tion. This only tended TO aggrsvate tn
evil, for the lower teacloBrs, by additions
B pressure, are forcing the pupils up to tn
6 higher standard.
Here the matter restA Something must b
) done, and thst something should certainl,
not be ne,c buildings. Not ono dollar shoult
be expended for that purpose, while sys
tenn of over-study Ii being prsctised to suci
degree all along the lines that the over